Abandon
by canthelpbutnotice
Summary: Based on the movie of the same name. Rory is a college student whose boyfriend, Tristan, disappeared some years ago. Now she must deal with the fact that he may not be dead. Trory.
1. Opening Old Doors

A/N - This story is heavily based on the movie Abandon and some scenes will almost mimic the movie although the ending will turn out completely different. For once I know exactly how this will end and it's only a mater of getting it out.

  


I do not own anything for Gilmore Girls or the movie Abandon.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Closing her eyes she could vividly remember the first time she had ever seen another side to the infamous Tristan DuGrey. An insufferable yet troubled young man he had been and also one determined to break her. As the director of their senior play at Chilton Prep she had experienced another side of him which she had thought impossible but it was evident. He was a charismatic character which had drove her to him like a moth to a light. Reveling in the first time she had thought more of him than a rich playboy she was ungracefully interrupted by a long shriek.

  


"RORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" her best friend, Lane, had cried out popping into her dorm and landing on her bed. "So what are you thinking about? And your answer better not be Tristan."

  


"So what if it is Lane? It's not against the law to think about him."

  


"Rory, you are a senior in college now. You're going to graduate in a month. You were in love with Tristan what senior year of _high school_. He disappeared when we were sophomores in college. It's been two years and the boy has still not shown up, called, or anything. Someone else deserves your attention now," Lane spat out the speech that was committed in the memory of any one of Rory's best friends. 

  


"I know. _I know_. Sometimes I just can't help it. He was like the love of my life Lane. You don't just forget about someone like him," Rory tried to reason drawing her comforter over her head.

  


"Okay, Tristan is . . . was unforgettable to say the least. But he should be a part of your past by now and therefore make it easier to forget how unforgettable he was."

  


Before Rory could answer there was a knock on her dorm room door and one of her college friends, Jerome, entered her room.

  


"Hey ladies you all ready to go to the café?" he asked as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

  


"Sure once someone leaves her past in the past."

  


"Ah, fantasizing about DuGrey again. Sorry, Ror, but as great of a guy and friend he was you got to move eventually even if it is to that guy Dean."

  


"As much as I would like to have you guys run my life I'd rather just go eat lunch with Paris," Rory almost screamed in frustration.

  


"All right we'll leave the 'Great Mystery of Tristan DuGrey's Disappearance and the Effects It Had On Rory Gilmore' alone for today."

  


"You have got to come up with a better title for the past four years of my life Jerome."

  


******************************************************************************

"So how's it feel to be back on the job, Detective?"

  


"Howard I went to rehab for 30 days. I didn't retire," Detective Jess Mariano answered wearily already tired of the attention put on his return. "So what did you want me in here for?"

  


"I have a missing persons case. Caucasian male, 23 by now, missing for almost 2 years. Name: Tristan DuGrey," the chief declared giving up hopes of small talk.

  


"You're giving me a desk job," Jess asked with disgust evident in his voice. Sure the only reason he was detective at 25 was because his father died on the job but he was still a damn good detective and this case was an insult to anyone of his ranking.

  


"Now, now, this is not my choice Jess the whole department wants you to start small again," the chief tried to reason with Jess' usually quick tempered mind.

  


"Fine. Anything else I should know?"

  


"The kid's parents died when he was young about 4 or 5. He was raised by his widowed grandfather as the only grandson. The grandfather died when he had just hit 18 making him legal and the only heir to three separate billion dollar fortunes. Most that know or knew him claim that he was a budding genius, mostly known for his dramatic theater productions. You should interview some of his old friends, do your own angle. There was a girlfriend involved may or may not have been a suspect since a friend claimed that the happy couple may not have been so happy anymore."

  


"So it's a desk job with a couple perks. But if you tell me anything about drugs or depression I'm not even going to bother. The guy probably drove north and decided to swim with the fishies."

  


"If you ask about drugs some might say maybe even though there weren't any and if you ask about depression anyone would laugh in your face. The drugs are a maybe cause he was put on Retalin early for ADD, one of those troubled genius types."

  


"So where would I find all his old friends?" Jess asked lighting a cigarette only to have it snatched away by his superior.

  


"All friends he might have are still attending the local college. Here's a short list of the closer ones that were already interviewed."

  


Jess quickly looked the list over, finding five names: Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore, Paris Gellar, Lane Kim, Jerome Watts, and Dean Forrester.

  


"Five names doesn't seem like they tried too hard for this case."

  


"There weren't many leads. This kid jet setted all over the world for all anyone knows he's sitting on a tropical island in the Pacific. If you want this case to be over soon I'd hurry up because all those leads are going to be graduating in a month."

  


******************************************************************************

"Rory. Rory Gilmore," a voice called out from behind her.

  


Tentatively she tore her eyes away from her thesis as if it would disappear if she wasn't looking.

  


"I'm sorry to disturb you Rory Gilmore but I have a message from your thesis advisor Professor Jargin and here's your message."

  


"Thanks, Becky, how's your thesis coming?" she asked as she slowly read the note over.

  


"Turned it in. How's yours?"

  


"Almost done," Rory answered as she wearily started packing her stuff to go meet the Professor. Noticing that Becky had already left she made her way outside into the cool night. It was times like these that she hated the old college, the long, lonely walks between buildings, and especially the old dorm building which administrators were trying to rebuild. She had wanted the protestors to leave and let them tear the building down so she could leave behind that part of her past, more specifically the past that involved Tristan. Reaching the edge of campus Rory spotted the large building which housed some of the larger offices given to senior professors like Jargin.

  


"I'm sure Rory will be just another minute Detective . . . ah, never mind she's already here. Rory please meet Detective Mariano. He wishes to question you about something."

  


"It's a pleasure to meet you Detective," she greeted politely shaking his hand.

  


"Same here. But I would like to jump right into the reason of my being here. The DuGrey Foundation has asked our department to reopen the missing persons case for Tristan DuGrey. I know that I'm most likely opening some old wounds here but I am required to question you again Miss Gilmore."

  


"I don't really mind as long as we get this over with as quickly as possible."

  


(All questions are Jess' lines. The rest are Rory's)

  


"What was your relationship with Mr DuGrey?"

  


"He was my boyfriend. My boyfriend of two years."

  


"And how long have you known him?"

  


"Since our sophomore year in high school."

  


"Have you had any contact with him after he disappeared?"

  


"No. None."

  


Do you have any idea of where he might have gone?"

  


"Anywhere but here."

  


"Is it true that he used to have violent tendencies?"

  


"I've only known him to hit a person once and it was well deserved."

  


"Would he have any reason for leaving?"

  


"Tristan was Tristan. He did as he pleased. But, no, I never knew of any reason which would cause him to leave."

  


"Thank you for your time Miss Gilmore. I'm sure you have other things to do."

  


"I'm happy to help Detective. Whether he shows or not I'll just be glad when this is all over." Her statement rang through the room like a threat as she took her departure. 

  


******************************************************************************

  


"So how long have you known Mr. DuGrey, Professor?"

  


"For a little before he attended this school. I had met him once through his grandfather. Here's the article, it was published the day after opening night."

  


'A Dramatic Drama'

  


Directing genius, sophomore Tristan DuGrey, blew up at his latest audience last night, not only for just attending his production but for being a part of an incompetent society. After flipping off a gathering of over 200 people the illustrious Mr. DuGrey bolted out the fire exit. What else can anyone say but 'standard Tristan'?

  


"What's meant by 'standard Tristan'?"

  


"No one knows if he was acting that night or not, but he has been known to pull of crazy things. He has already dropped out twice, once each year: to work in an archaeological dig site and then to work in a factory. Most expect him to pop up directing in London.

  


"What a guy."

  


"Tristan was over dramatic to say the least. I also have a tape of that same night if you wish to watch Detective?"

  


"That would be great. Do you have time now?"

  


"I only need to find the video, Detective."

  


Cut to Tristan walking down the stairs

"Pathetic. You are all pathetic. You people haven't produced a real artist in over a decade. But that's derivative. You are all derivative. Oh, but look we're under the theatre like hell itself. This isn't like hell you people _are _hell. One last announcement before the show. Screw this play, screw this place, and screw you people."

Grabs a nearby lantern and leaves through fire exit.

Play begins.

  


"Quite the philosopher."

  


"If you ever do find him I believe you two would get along. Supposedly he had a car waiting, to take him to the airport. They interrogated the service later after he was declared missing but the driver claimed that he waited for hours and Tristan never showed. But I suppose you already knew that Detective."

  


"Yeah, thank you for your time Professor. I have a couple more people to interview." 

  


A/N - Like it? Hate it? Let me know. And this will end up Trory, like any other story I write.

  



	2. A Bitter Rory, A Bronzed Tristan

A/N - Sorry this took so long but I completely forgot about what happened in the movie. Anyways since I've been studying for my first final my imagination is shot and most of the parts come directly from the movie. By the way I love the part in the movie where Katie or Rory is talking about a bronzed Embry or Tristan (completely random, I know).

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Hey your guys," Rory greeted meeting them at the café on campus grounds the next morning.

  


"Persian religious teacher, nine letters," Lane asked as soon as Rory had sat down.

  


"Zoroaster," Rory responded.

  


"Great, good and evil," Paris shot back finally looking up from her Physics book.

  


"My book is Genius–Genius capitalized."

  


""Damn it I should know this he's a physist," Paris ranted out her frustration.

  


"Feynman. F-e."

  


"Damn it, Rory, I know how to spell Feynman. Sorry, my McKenzie interview is in half an hour," Lane reasoned, referring to the consulting company both her and Rory hoped to work for. 

  


Jerome glancing back noticed something or rather someone as the three girls argued. "Hey, um. Rory, um, I love being _friends_ in quotation marks. It just makes me so horny," Jerome mocked, referring to Dean, the idiot whom the rest of the gang wondered about how he was accepted into college.

  


"Shut up, Jerome. We are friends," Rory said noticing her sheepish looking "friend" who was headed her way.

  


"Right, and I'm sure he doesn't want to get in your pants, Ror," Paris stated nonchalantly.

  


"Hey guys what's up?" Dean asked taking a seat uninvited.

  


"Hey we were just talking about friendship and how-" Jerome was quickly cut off by Rory who finished for him. "And how we will all eventually sell out."

  


"Some of us quicker than others," Paris responded cynically, never looking up from her textbook.

  


"Well I think it's about doing what makes you happy," Dean responded, oblivious to the true nature of the conversation.

  


"Dean, you're just so...hopeful," Lane stated out loud, inwardly wondering how someone could so...so blind. 

  


********************************************************************************

  


"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Detective, but I have already spoken to two other detectives. I'm not sure how much more I can tell you." The trustee for the DuGreys stood before Jess.

  


"Yeah, well, I just have a few more questions. What makes you think Tristan DuGrey is dead?"

  


"Its purely his account activity," the man answered back.

  


"What account activity?" Jess asked confused.

  


"That's just it there is none. Nothing has been touched for years. Detective, it takes several years for a missing person to be declared dead. It's been two. The people at the DuGrey Foundation, the people who get all the money, they want this to be over, rather quickly I might add."

  


********************************************************************************

  


Rory finally rises from her nap only to be greeted by something sitting on the edge of her bed under a blanket. "I take it your interview didn't go well."

  


"They hated me," was the distorted answer.

  


"I hate to go now but stay in here and I'll talk t you when I get back," Rory said changing into clothes suitable for her interview.

  


"No, no go out and celebrate after. You're only going to make me feel worse by your damn achievements."

  


"Bye Lane."

  


An hour later and outwardly calm and an inwardly frazzled Rory stepped out of the interview office. The interview had gone fine it was what the situation had reminded her of that had made her so chaotic within.

  


Almost able to hear his temper tantrum that day Rory fell back into a blissful flashback , right there in the hallway.

  


_"Damn it, stop. People that was...appalling at the best." Tristan's frustration referring to the first attempt at a group audition for the senior play. "You, you, and you," he pointed at three girls and motioned for them to step out from the crowd. One of them was Rory. "You, start," he stated referring to the one on Rory's right. She began, he cut her off after a moment, and motioned for her to leave._

  


_"You," he motioned to the blonde on Rory's left. Again she began and he cut her off. The remaining one was Rory._

  


_"Begin," he demanded she stare at him, stricken. "Again." He didn't cut her, instead he motioned for the next person to begin their lines._

  


_Afterwards Tristan had asked Rory to stay so he could talk with her. Usually she would think that he was taking as a chance to come onto her but with his seriousness about the play, she reasoned that it would be strictly professional._

  


For the next few days after her interview Rory found herself holed up in the library desperately trying to finish off her thesis.

  


"Ms. Gilmore," Jess politely called out standing behind her.

  


Rory turned around surprised but only saw the detective. "May I ask you a few more questions?"

  


"Only if you hurry I really need to finish this," she gave in trying not to be overly rude.

  


"Not one for small talk. That's alright a person can piss their life away talking to idiots. So, um, about this kid, Tristan, do you think that he could have killed himself?" he hurried on noticing her reluctance.

  


"Nobody with Tristan's self-regard would kill himself. Nobody. He would have himself bronzed first. In fact, if you see a statue of him somewhere check and see if there's a person inside," she answered honestly yet bitterly.

  


"So he hurt you that much."

  


"Honestly that is none of your business," she said for the first time turning around to look at him since the conversation began.

  


"Actually, it's my job, so it is my business."

  


"You know I would just love to pal around with you right now but for once I am actually trying to move on with my life so if you don't mind..." she trailed off angry at this stranger's impertinence.

  


He got up and left but only a moment later she was interrupted by her friends.

  


"Hm...10:30 on a Friday night. I wonder where Rory is?" Jerome mocked coming up behind her.

  


"We're leaving," Lane stated excitement evident in her voice.

  


The trio grabbed Rory barely giving her time to save her thesis and pulled her in the general direction of a party.

  


After a couple hours of drinking, not too much but enough that the three of them including Paris were drunk, and partying they went back into an abandoned room where strobe lights were flitting across the ceiling and all but passed out. They remained awake enough to carry on an unintelligent conversation during which Rory spent most of her time looking at a glass pane that saw into the hallway. Halfway through the rambling conversation she saw a figure come up to the window. Rubbing her eyes and sitting up against the wall Rory recognized the face. But you see, that was impossible because the person in the hallway was the missing Tristan DuGrey. 

  



	3. Flashes, Reminiscent and Real

Waking up to someone knocking on her door at ten in the morning the next day Rory managed to get out a mumbled, "Come in." Dean entered her room slowly and approached the bed while Rory made a desperate attempt to sit up.

"Hey, what's going? You should be awake by now," the oblivious Dean stated as he sat on the foot of the bed. 

"Dean. It is ten in the morning. I am hung over. And I'm pretty sure the pressure of my thesis is making me hallucinate. I do not want to be up."

"Oh, come on it can't be that," replied the ever hopeful Dean. "I mean get up. We can go protest in front of the old dorm buildings. You didn't go with me last time."

Rory just glared at him. "Dean, they are going to tear down those god damn buildings whether you like it or not. So you can stop protesting because nobody cares."

"Okay, you are obviously upset. And you're not thinking clearly. I'll come by later when you...can...think clearly again," Dean said as he left the room clearly saddened by her blatant refusal. 

To tired to care if she had hurt his feelings Rory merely sunk back onto her bed, covering her head with blankets. Once she entered the dream world again Tristan became very much real again as her memories sent her back to a time long suppressed.

_Surprisingly she had agreed to meet with Tristan after rehearsal and found herself seated in the small office in the far back of Grant Hall. _

_"Now tell me why you really tried out. Cause I know that you have never acted before," Tristan stated confidently, as the opening to their conversation._

_"Sure I've acted before. Impersonating people, in my imagination, with my mom." The last one brought a smile to her face. _

_"Exactly. You've never acted before. So why are you here?" he questioned persistently after hearing her answer._

_"This is a great thing to put on your transcript." At his unbelieving scowl she continued honestly, "It was...interesting to hear that you were the director so I...wanted to see what you were all about."_

_"Then let's find out what Rory Gilmore is all about." Tristan came closer from his perch on the old wooden desk to sit next to her on the couch, that creaked with the added weight. Spilling open her backpack he grabbed at the contents, much to her protests. _

_"Hey," she called out weakly in resistance. He merely shook his head and pulled the book farther away from her grasp._

_"Psychology. Now what an interesting subject for an aspiring actress,"he mocked lightly, remembering her previous words. _

_She blushed slightly from his accusations and watched as he randomly went through her books tossing out remarks as the pile by the couch grew less and the one outside the door grew._

_"Hmm," he mumbled almost too quietly to be heard when Tristan stumbled onto her planner. Rory turned towards him and seeing what he now possessed, immediately jumped for the little book. "No, no. Let's see what you have in here," Tristan intently stared at the pages as he carelessly flipped through them._

She awoke then with loud and harsh blaring of rock music from the dorm next to her. Banging on the wall at an angry rate the enraged music subdued a bit but only so that she was able to hear herself think. Rory remembered the lengthy conversation her and Tristan had after he had scrutinized her organizer and declared her the oddest person he knew. She thanked him for the claim, then a kiss, and finally a relationship ensued.

Her eyes opened up to reality once more and she sat up with a dismayed groan before finally pulling herself out of bed. Forcing herself not to think about the "what ifs" Rory dressed casually and grabbed a pair of sunglasses, heading out for some lunch or at the very least a cup of coffee. Halfway through sipping her third coffee and reading the latest on world events Rory suddenly remembered her appointment with Professor Jargin in his lecture hall and raced across campus from the small coffeehouse.

After two hours of extensive discussion on her thesis Rory was finally able to escape the boring yet well-intentioned clutches of her professor. Barely paying attention as she walked slowly and deliberately Rory was forced out of her own little world when someone jostled her shoulder harshly. She looked up with intentions of reprimanding the guy but lost that train of thought as her gaze was drawn to the upcoming stairs.

Seeing again that familiar flash of blonde hair and blue eyes Rory met his gaze uncertainly before he inexplicably turned around and bolted to destinations unknown. Fighting against the crowd of people who all seemed to be going the opposite direction she reached the top of the stairs only to see a black flash of a Mercedes and the license plate "TDUGREY".


	4. Whether or Not

A/N - This part goes way faster than expected but I'm skipping forward to get to some Tristan interaction. Paris talks a lot to explain what happened. And Jess watches a lot of tape to find the major difference from the actual movie. And sorry for the confusion but this fic won't end in the way the movie did. In other words no one's going to die or has been killed.

Jess stared at Rory apprehensively. "I'm sorry to tell you this but a few years after Tristan's disappearance the police station auctioned off the car. It's impossible for you to have seen it, especially since they changed the license plates."

"Detective Mariano, I know what I saw and that was Tristan's car down to the last modification. There is no way in hell someone could have replicated his car and license and there is no way in hell I'm wrong about what I saw," Rory yelled, the subject of Tristan irritating her. "He was watching me and he is alive."

"Rory, maybe we should close this case indefinitely. No one was thinking about the effects on you and your friends and to tell you the truth everyone else was a little sensitive about the subject. It's wrong to drudge up something like this and the Foundation can wait the full seven years," Jess responded sympathetically. Thinking that the girl was hallucinating because Tristan was suddenly reintroduced, he felt responsible for the disruptions.

"No!" she cried out at the thought of having this brought up again but left unfinished, "Listen, I know what some people might have said, but I have no idea where Tristan went or what happened to him. And I had nothing to do with his disappearance," she closed her eyes and sighed heavily before continuing, "I just need some closure. You can ask any of my friends. He might as well still be here with the amount of time I spend thinking about him. I need to know whether or not he's going to show up again, if he's dead or not coming back. I cannot live with him constantly haunting me. It's torture thinking of all the 'ifs'."

"I'll make you a deal. I still have to interview a couple of your friends, protocol. After that, maybe a week, with what I have I'll decide whether or not to close the case."

Rory almost collapsed in relief with this opportunity to finally put the past behind her. "Thank you, Detective." She stood and abruptly left the police station, leaving him with only one thing to do.

"Paris Gellar?" he called out rushing to the young blonde walking towards the dorms.

"Detective," she replied curtly before continuing.

Jess fell into step beside her and waited to be acknowledged. Eventually she stopped and questioned him, "Can I help you with anything? Wait, I'm sure I can't. I've already told you what little I know."

"You've told me what you know Tristan DuGrey and Rory Gilmore...as two separate entities. Now I need to know about them as couple, to be specific any quarrels they might have had."

Conveniently by a bench Paris took a seat. "I guess you want to know what they were thinking when Tristan decided to drop out of college." He stared at her in response. "Well I can tell you this for sure. Their biggest fights were always about his tendency to leave. Rory always forgave him when he came back and he always forgot that she was ever angry about it. But the most monumental thing I ever remember between the two of them was about a week before his disappearance. Tristan had told Rory about his plans of leaving again and she was, as expected, upset with him and refused to speak with him for the rest of the time he was here."

"This is where everything happens so fast not even Rory is sure of exactly what he did. The night before his big opening he sent a letter to the dorm we shared at the time. One was to the play and the other was a first class ticket to London. I guess, in her mind, she accepted one but not the other. The next night Rory was at the play as expected but when he ran off stage she told me that she didn't bother following him." 

"The next morning there was still no sign of him and it was like that for the next week, too. By then it was the date printed on the ticket. I know for a fact that Rory debated for a long time whether or not to get on that plane. And in the end she didn't. Even now she regrets that decision. But then again those are the things that bother her the most about him disappearing like that. One that she could have followed him and he might not be missing. Two that she didn't get the last word. And three was what hurt her the most and keeps her so vulnerable towards him. She didn't get to say her goodbyes."

Jess was pleasantly surprised at her long declaration, having finally learned the full details after pointless interviews with the other friends. "Just to tell you, no one else knows about this. And I expect that confidentiality clause to be honored." She stood up and left him there contemplating her disclosure.

"Damn it, I've got nothing new besides a different kind of sympathy for the girl," he stood there for a moment longer before realizing an open spot that Gellar had left. "A girl who is perfectly capable of lying to her closest friends." Jess turned on his heel and headed for the classroom he had previously visited.

Rory was once again at the library working on her thesis after her short meeting with the Detective. Usually having an assignment like that forced all thoughts of Tristan out of her head but tonight he remained stubbornly in her head. 

"Rory. Rory Gilmore," a soft voice called out, voiced by an indistinguishable person. 

Immediately her head whipped around at the sound of her name. Thinking it was once again Becky, Rory was surprised to find no one behind her. Her curiosity got the best of her and Rory rose from her work station and headed for the front of the library. A flash of blonde running in front of her and she was chasing the character out the front door.

The guy, Tristan in her mind, was much faster and was already down the stairs just as she was exiting the library. Watching the mystery man run towards the parking lot she distinctly heard Tristan's sharp laugh and his playful taunt, "Come and catch me Rory." Heading back inside Rory immediately cleaned up her workstation and headed for the dorms, knowing that she wasn't going to accomplish much else anymore.

Jess pushed the tape inside his VCR and pressed 'play'. After three hours of sitting in front of the Professor's office he had finally got what he came for and had returned to his apartment. He watched the beginning of the film once more listening to Tristan's problematic speech and rolled his eyes at the guy's attempt to sound worldly.

He rewound the tape to the beginning, this time with the sound off as to read the guy's emotions and not be thrown off by his words. The camera played over the audience and Jess recognized Rory standing on the left side of the screen where he had already identified her in his first viewing of the film.

Tristan's expressions varied throughout his short speech. At first Jess recognized the pre-emptive disgust that was necessary to sincerely pull off the lecture. Surprisingly enough, the next give away was a short flickering in his eyes then a kind of stiffening of his entire body. By the time that passed Tristan was blatantly angry and the speech came across more than it did when he was just disgusted.

Jess rewound to Tristan's appearance, trying to find what exactly had set off the guy's spasm. In slow motion the camera displayed the path of Tristan's eyes. Starting from evidently the right side of the screen, his eyes panned over the crowd and his expression turned sour, to what Jess specifically knew as jealously. Freezing the shot, Tristan had been staring at the left side of the screen right before he turned bitter.

It was then that Jess knew exactly what had set the kid off. He went back to the very beginning, intent on capturing every moment of screen time that Rory had from her little place in the shadows. Almost immediately Jess' gaze was drawn away from its subject to the guy standing very close to her.

Earlier, before the interviews, he would have played off the other guy as a friend. But now, even without a clear shot of the face, Jess recognized the tall, lanky figure as Dean Forrester. 

During the interview Jess was clueless as to why Dean's name was on the list. He didn't know much about Tristan's disappearance and even less about the actual guy. But who better to include on the list than the guy trying to steal Tristan's girlfriend?

Jess' mind was immediately drawn to the obvious procedure. Tristan sees girlfriend. Tristan sees girlfriend and Dean. Tristan jumps to conclusions. Tristan leaves the production. Tristan leaves the country.

When Jess first came up with the idea of re-watching the tape he had been looking for suspicious activity by Rory. It was impossible for Paris to say that Rory didn't go after him with how much she seemed to care for him.

The tape finally caught his attention again as he had left it playing. The camera was now switching between the stage and the fire exit that Tristan had left from, waiting for him to make another apearance. In one of the shots he saw Rory still watching the production and he knew that she really hadn't gone after Tristan. But there was still someone missing from the shot.

He rewound it back to Tristan's departure and waited for the camera to pan back over to the door. In the first shot Rory was still talking to Dean but in the second he could see the door still closing and Rory standing there alone. 


	5. Number Eight

Rory opened the door to her dorm intent on getting some sleep and driving the hallucinations out of her mind. Course she already knew why they were still there, because she had left things too open to not think about all the possibilities. She fell onto the bed and before her head even hit the pillow Rory was fast asleep.

She awoke some hours later and looked at her alarm clock. It was four thirty in the morning. She tried to remember what had caused her to wake from her sweet dream about Tristan then heard another noise. It was the sound of footsteps pausing outside her door that caused her usually light sleep patterns to be disrupted.

Before she knew it a slip of paper was slid under the door and Rory immediately bolted straight up in bed. The person didn't linger after that and instead sounded to be running down the hallway and away from her dorm. Rory looked over at Paris' bed and deemed the girl deep asleep having come in much later than Rory. Silently, she picked herself out of bed and slowly approached the card.

Her name was prominently displayed on the front in Tristan's masculine handwriting. With shaking hands Rory opened the envelope to find a paper with the morning's date.

'Mary, meet me in my room as soon as you get this and I'll explain everything. –Tristan"

"Paris! Paris!" Rory hissed trying not to disturb the other girl too much. Eventually Paris mumbled a slightly muffled 'what' before getting up and grabbing her alarm.

"Rory it's not even five in the morning. What do you need?" she asked groggily sitting up in bed to face the terrified Rory. Silently Rory handed her the card ad watched Paris' expression change from mild annoyance to shock and disbelief. "When did you find this?"

"Just now. Do you think I should go?" Rory asked already knowing what kind of advice Paris was going to give.

"Since I know what you're going to do, it's pointless to try and stop you. But I'm going with you and we're calling the Detective before we leave," Paris reasoned with her, already grabbing the phone and dialing the number on the back of the card.

Rory listened to Paris' conversation with the Detective while changing out of her pajamas. Paris followed her example, getting some normal clothes on. Soon enough both girls were huddled together walking in the dark on their way across campus. As promised Detective Mariano was waiting out front, dressed in a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt.

"Did you bring the note, Rory?" he asked his voice a little hoarse at the early hour.

"Yeah, here," she answered him prying the card out of her frozen grip.

He read the note over carefully before handing each girl a flashlight. "I don't know what's going on in this place but I assume they already cut the electricity. You ready?"

The question was useless to both girls and they helped him pull the fence apart wide enough for them to slip in. "Do you know which room it was Rory?" he asked unnecessarily since both Rory and Paris knew exactly where Tristan used to live.

"Yeah, the third floor, number eight," she said in a small voice already trying to get the door open. Al three were pulling on it and they managed to creak it open enough to pass. Suddenly full of anxiety Rory lead the march up the stairs and paused when she got to the third floor landing.

Neither Jess nor Paris encouraged her to go any further since they weren't sure of what was about to happen. Eventually Rory continued pausing outside the door. The actual number eight had been lost somewhere its imprint was still shown on the faded wood.

Rory pushed the door open slightly and it fully swung open. All three peered into the main room and could tell that someone had been using it recently. The windows had been boarded over long ago. There were a few worn-in chairs in th far corner. An old coffee table was covered in newspapers and fast food containers. A sweatshirt had been bundled up and thrown into a corner.

Soon they got past the messing living area and were able to see the small kitchen. There was nothing in it except a few dirty dishes but that was to be expected since all utilities had been cut off. Paris and Jess were busy checking the dates on the newspapers to notice Rory wander over to a closed door.

Rory opened the bedroom door and it took her eyes a little while to adjust to the dim morning light which was shining in from the de-boarded windows. Vaguely she spotted clothes strewn about and even a few boxes of pictures. Her eyes came to rest on the mattress set up in the corner and the figure asleep in it.

She let out a strangled cry which alerted both Paris and Jess yet did not wake the sleeper. They immediately rushed to her side and spotted the same exact thing she had a few moments earlier. Paris made a move to enter the room but Rory was faster and went straight towards the mattress.

Slightly kneeling Rory pulled on the blankets covering the figure's head and was rewarded with the sight of tousled blonde hair. She clung to the sleeping Tristan who woke up with the feeling of her arms around him.


End file.
